Trending Now: Sports Luxe Watches

Whether it’s a rugged chronograph or a hunky 47mm beast, sports luxe timepieces are hot right now. Here are five of our favourites:

Breitling – Avenger Hurricane MilitaryWith a 50mm case, the Avenger Hurricane Military might seem like it’s not an easy timepiece to wield, but it’s in fact the direct opposite. Thanks to a high-tech exclusive material called Breitlight, which is 3.3 times lighter than titanium and 5.8 times lighter than steel, it wears like a dream tool watch that is practically impervious to scratches, traction, and corrosion. Its manufacture automatic movement (chronometer-certified by COSC) imbues the watch with a respectable 70-hour power reserve as well as an uncommon 24-hour display.

Harry Winston – Project Z11With its calfskin-on-rubber strap mimicking the cool look of denim, one would be hard-pressed to think of a better watch to pair with blue jeans and a T-shirt. That said, the Z11 has a lot more going for it. Made of Zalium, a proprietary zirconium-based alloy, the timepiece exudes a highly urban vibe as its openworked dial is inspired by the superstructures of New York City, the birthplace of Harry Winston. Its automatic movement is just as noteworthy, boasting a cutting-edge silicon balance spring and showing off its refined finishes via a sapphire caseback.

Hublot – Big Bang Unico SapphireWith “The Art of Fusion” as its tagline, one can always expect Hublot to be at the forefront of material innovation. While a lesser watchmaker would’ve been content in perfecting a timepiece with a full-sapphire case like it did last year, the Swiss marque continues to push the envelope by unleashing versions in red or blue coloured sapphire – the results of a highly technical process of fusing metals with sapphire crystal at between 2,000 to 2,050 degrees Celsius. Limited to 250 pieces each, both are powered by an in-house automatic movement.

Montblanc – TimeWalker Chronograph Rally Timer Counter Limited Edition 100Offering more bang for your buck, this limited edition watch (100 pieces) is essentially three timepieces in one. A handsome piece of wrist candy with its black calfskin strap and 50mm grade 2 titanium case, it converts, in an instant, into a pocket watch that can also be placed on a desk thanks to two folding arms under the case. In addition, it can be transformed into a dashboard instrument by clipping to it a leather-covered metal plate. A manual-winding manufacture movement derived from a vintage Minerva calibre drives this watch with a power reserve of 50 hours.

Panerai – Luminor Sumbersible 1950 BMG-TechIt may not look like it, but this watch is actually made of glass. Well, Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) to be exact—an innovative glass-like alloy (comprising zirconium, copper, aluminium, titanium, and nickel) that is lightweight yet extremely robust and resistant to wear. Its appearance is almost like titanium, with a darker shade of grey, making it an ideal material for Panerai’s family of tough diving watches, which in this case has an athletic build of 47mm, durable black rubber strap, and an in-house automatic movement with a three-day power reserve.

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Our secret contributor is an industry insider who has worked with well-known luxury watch marques, as well as written for numerous horological publications. He asks to remains anonymous, however, so as not to ruffle feathers with his sometimes opinionated posts.